The present invention broadly relates to weaving machines and, more specifically pertains to a new and improved construction of tape or strap wheel for weft thread insertion at a weaving machine.
Generally speaking, the tape or strap wheel of the present invention is of the type comprising a wheel hub or hub member, a wheel body or body member having a wheel rim or rim member and connected to the wheel hub, and a supporting part or element fastened to the wheel rim for receiving a weft thread insertion tape or strap. Furthermore, the tape or strap wheel comprises means for fastening the weft thread insertion tape or strap to the tape wheel and such tape wheel can be rotatably arranged.
In a known tape or strap wheel of the aforementioned type as disclosed, for example, in Swiss Patent No. 629,859, published May 14, 1982, there is provided an oscillatingly driven tape wheel for the weft thread insertion comprises a sort of honeycomb structure containing a plurality of cells arranged substantially parallel to the wheel axis. Furthermore, the wheel body is closed at each of both sides by a respective circular plate and is operatively connected to the wheel hub. However, the stiffness or rigidity and the low mass moment of inertia required for modern high-performance or high-capacity weaving machines are not sufficiently ensured in this prior art tape wheel.